50 Ways to Say Goodbye
by Rubelle
Summary: Dick Grayson mulls over how to answer the difficult question of why Barbara left. One-shot.


_Playlist: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train_

_This event would take place during my "Memiors of a Batgirl" story, during the three years Barbara was traveling the world._

Dick was at a complete loss; he still couldn't totally grasp it.

Friday night, he had made the worse mistake of his life by telling his best friend in the world, the only girl who would ever take his crap, the only one who knew who he really was that he didn't want her around anymore. He knew it had been a mistake the moment he said it, but his pride prevented him from running after her. Then he and Bruce got chewed out by Wonder Woman, and they realized that not only had they humiliated their confidante, they had exiled the girl who had just saved their lives. He could still remember the smell of the coppery liquid hit him when he cracked the lid off the barrel. It would have caused him either death, or an extremely painful mutation to rival the likes of Clayman or the Joker.

He had given Barbara Saturday to calm down; he didn't want her memory of the wound to be as sharp when he tried to apologize. School was to start on Monday, and he figured he could start there. But Barbara hadn't given him the chance. On Sunday, she left Gotham for God only knew how long for what her father called 'an educational experience'. He refused to answer where they were going, saying that he would only know when Barbara called him, and that he had no phone number for her or her mentor, the mysterious Diana Prince.

Not even Kara's best friend would tell him, saying she was under Barbara's orders, and simply hinting that Barbara had sounded hurt and angry when she had given the order.

Dick didn't know what to do.

He had known her ever since they were little kids; he was the first outsider to the circus that had left an impression on him. She had comforted him when his parents died, and helped introduce him to normal teenager life. She was supposed to be by his side, always. He had seen himself living his entire life with her.

"Hey, dude,"

Dick turned to see his friend Wally watching him, clearly concerned.

"What?" Dick asked, running his fingers through his mop of black hair.

"Is everything ok dude? You've been in a funk all week—Bette has been practically throwing herself on you, and you've barely even acknowledged her! Hey," he said suddenly, "Where's that one redhead you were always hanging out with? Well, I mean, she hasn't been hanging around as much mind you, but you two used to be thick as thieves."

_Used to be_

It echoed in Dick's mind; how much of an idiot was he not to realize that he had been pushing away the one person who meant something to him?

"She, uh, she had an accident."

_What are you doing? _His mind screamed at him, but he already had Wally's utmost attention.

"Oh my god, dude, what happened?"

"She, uh, she…" he looked around as nonchalantly as possible, searching for ideas. He saw someone walk by with a lion blazoned on his shirt.

"She got mauled by a lion."

"What?! You're kidding," Wally was clearly unsure whether or not he could believe it.

"Yea," Dick said, sticking with his story, "We were at the zoo, and she accidentally fell into the lion exhibit, and before the staff could get in there, one of the lions went crazy."

"Is she ok? I can't believe it wasn't in the news!" Wally cried.

"She's alive, but she had to be transferred to a special hospital in Metropolis for surgery. She's still in critical condition."

"Oh dude," Wally put a hand on Dick's shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

"You have got to be kidding me." Dick flinched at the sound of Kara's voice, turning to see the imposing blonde standing behind them. She turned to Wally, "You're really gonna buy a crack story like that?"

"What do you mean?" Wally asked, "Wait, Kara, weren't you friends with Barbara too?"

Kara let out a frustrated noise and crossed her arms, "He's lying to you, Wally: Barbara is just traveling around the world in a new education program. She didn't get mauled by a lion."

Caught in his ridiculous story, Dick grinned and laughed, "Gotcha!"

Kara let out another noise of annoyance and walked away, muttering about how stupid boys were.

"Dude, not cool!" Wally yelled, punching Dick on the shoulder. Dick just kept laughing, finding it easier to pretend than think about why Barbara left without a word. "So she's really just traveling?" Wally asked a moment later.

"Apparently," Dick said, trying to sound uninterested, "She didn't tell me."

"Why not?"

"Because," Dick said, thinking back to Friday, "I was a supreme idiot."

Wally sensed that he shouldn't push anymore, apparently, because he didn't ask anymore questions. Dick looked up into the sky, wondering where Barbara was.

_I know I'm no good at good-byes, but seriously Babs, nothing?_

Somewhere nearby, he recognized a nightingale call.


End file.
